Higher Ed Job Description Checklist

Colleges and universities are increasingly competing with out-of-sector companies for talent. Given this trend, it’s more important than ever before for higher ed institutions to attract potential employees with clear and compelling job descriptions.

• 

  64%

  of higher ed staff would seek employment at a private for-profit company

• 

  2/3

  of higher ed job descriptions evaluated in EAB’s audit failed to mention if an employee would receive basic benefits

Use this checklist to assess your institution’s current job descriptions and identify opportunities to increase the number of qualified applicants by increasing accessibility, adjusting requirements to welcome a broader array of qualified candidates, and articulating the value proposition of the workplace.

Download the Checklist

Job description checklist

How hard is it for potential applicants to find and read our job descriptions?

• Shorten job descriptions to ~650 words or less.

• Use bullets, rather than paragraphs, to outline requirements, qualifications, and benefits.

• Link to your career website on your institution’s homepage.

• Test job descriptions and career websites on a mobile device. Make job descriptions and applications mobile-friendly as needed.

Do our job descriptions create unnecessary barriers for potential applicants?

• Assess whether job requirements and qualifications are redundant and/or critical for success in the role (e.g., master’s degree). Remove or rewrite these as preferences rather than requirements.

• Identify industry-specific competencies (e.g., experience providing student services) and replace with transferable skills (e.g., customer service). See Appendix A for examples of transferable skills.

• Include phrases like “or related experiences/skills/degrees” to expand and diversify the applicant pool.

• Assess job descriptions for unconscious bias across gender (e.g., using “he” or “she” instead of “they”), age (e.g., “digital native”), and ability (e.g., “must lift 20 lbs” instead of “moves equipment up to 20 lbs”).

Do potential applicants understand the value and benefit of working at our institution?

• Explain why a candidate should apply to your institution versus another university or employer.

• Include information about tangible benefits (e.g., health care, vacation days, retirement options).

• Articulate distinct, non-tangible perks of working at your institution (e.g., working with a collaborative team, career advancement opportunities).

• Reduce information about rankings, university research, or student educational experiences unless explicitly linked to employee duties or values (e.g., faculty research).

• Use first- and second-person language to help candidates visualize working at the institution.

• Provide social proof, including top employer awards and employee testimonials, where applicable.

Appendix A: Exemplar Higher Ed Job Descriptions

Download exemplar job descriptions from the University of Iowa, the University of Notre Dame, and the Community College of Philadelphia for examples to model your own job descriptions after.

Appendix B: Transferable Skills Compendium

Communication Skills

• Active listening
• Communication
• Data storytelling
• Facilitation
• Nonverbal communication
• Persuasion
• Presentation
• Storytelling
• Verbal communication
• Written communication

Leadership Skills

• Change management
• Conflict management
• Conflict resolution
• Decision making
• Delegation
• Employee development
• Influence
• Leadership
• Management
• Mentorship
• Negotiation
• Performance management
• Strategic planning

Team Skills

 

• Collaboration
• Flexibility
• Initiative

• Interpersonal skills
• Networking
• Open to feedback
• Planning
• Project management
• Positive attitude
• Relationship building
• Teamwork
• Values diversity

Technology Skills

• Computer literacy
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• Proficient with technology

Problem Solving Skills

• Analytical thinking
• Creativity
• Critical thinking
• Innovative
• Inquisitive
• Interested in learning
• Problem-solving
• Product knowledge
• Reasoning
• Research

Professional Skills

• Adaptability
• Budgeting
• Client engagement
• Customer service
• Detail-oriented
• Editing
• Empathetic
• Ethical
• Goal-oriented
• Independent
• Integrity
• Intrapersonal skills
• Motivation
• Multitasking
• Organization
• Patience
• Perseverance
• Prioritization
• Proofreading skills
• Responsible
• Results-oriented
• Scheduling skills
• Self-management
• Self-motivated
• Setting goals
• Trustworthiness
• Strong work ethic
• Time management